The general idea behind Software Defined Networking (SDN) is to decouple network hardware and its control plane from the software that runs on top of it.

Networking startup Embrane now aims to take the idea of software defined architecture to the next level with SDN software that enables applications with their own networks. Embrane calls its custom SDN networks for applications vTopologies. They include vLinks, which all run with the company's heleos solution.

Dante Malagrinò, co-founder, president, and CEO of Embrane, explained to Enterprise Networking Planet that his company's approach to SDN revolves around application-centric networking. Embrane enables that with a number of technologies.

"Virtual Topologies (vTopologies) and vLinks are ways to virtualize a network for connectivity at Layer 3," Malagrinò said.